Armor & Vessels

In today's Bible study [“Strong is the Lord”], we saw that the Greek word translated as "goods" in Matthew 12:29 is the same word translated as "vessels" in Acts 9:15 and Romans 9:21-23, etc. Clearly pointing to God's elect.

The context of Matthew 12:29 is of the one (Christ) who enters into the strong man's (Satan's) house and spoils his goods (vessels). A parallel passage in Luke's gospel makes reference to the strong man (Satan) being armed and keeping (protecting) his palace goods. But, we then read of one stronger than he that comes upon him, overcomes him, and takes from him all his armor wherein he trusted, then divides the spoils:

Luke 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

What's curious is that we find David, a great type of Christ, going to battle with Goliath, a type of Satan, and overcoming him and taking away his armor:

1 Samuel 17:53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.

54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

David cut off the giant’s head and brought the head to Jerusalem. He also "put his armour" in his tent. Interesting. David took away Goliath's armor just as the one stronger than the strong man takes away the strong man's armor.

Moreover, we find that this idea of cutting off someone's head and taking their armor away happened another time as well. It happened to king Saul of Israel:

1 Chronicles 10:8 And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa.

9 And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.

10 And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

They took Saul's head, and his armor. There must be a tie-in between one's head and their armor.

We know that Saul was a type and figure of the corporate church. He served God to some degree until God gave him up and no longer communicated with him. Just as the corporate church served God to some degree up until the Lord turned them over to their enemies for their destruction. The loss of Saul's head points to the corporate church who lost their head (Christ) once the Spirit of God departed from them. The enemies of God taking his head and his armor illustrates that they (the enemies) have power and authority over Saul (the corporate church).

Likewise, David's taking of Goliath's head and armor illustrates the opposite point. That the Lord Jesus Christ was victorious and overcome His enemies and now rules over them with power and authority.

We can gather that the one stronger (Christ) than the strong man (Satan) has become the ruler of his house as typified by the taking away of the strong man's armor which he trusted in.

By the way, the Hebrew word translated as "armor" in 1 Samuel 17:54 and in 1 Chronicles 10:9,10 is Strong's #3627. This word is translated by many different English words – one of which is “vessel” or “vessels.” Strong’s #3627 is translated as “vessels” dozens of times in the O.T.

2 Chronicles 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

These vessels of the house of LORD were restored at the end of the 70 years:

Ezra 1:7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

So, to take away the strong man's armor is in itself a picture of taking the chosen vessels (the elect) of God away from the evil one.